Steering wheel



Oct. Z0, '1931.

H. A. HUSTED STEERING WHEEL Fled Feb. '7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l mvENToRy /wfffr /72/5 7M AMM Mc EL ATTORNEYS Oct. 20, 1931. l H; A. HUsTED1,828,047

STEERING WHEEL FiledvFeb. 7, 1929 2 Sheff-@3-511661 2 Patented oct. ze,1931 L .Unirse STATES? HAEEY A. lzrirsfrnn, or CLEVELAND, onto,AssreNoE'ro THE iin. HUSTED coMrANY,

or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A coEEoEnToNor MICHIGAN 1 Y I STEERING lrWHEELAppiicauon inea February?, ieee, serial N afsaaiea f This inventionrelates torsteerin'g' wheels and particularly tothe type embodyingsheet` metal spiders `embcdded1in a composition body; y The principalobject of the present `invention is to provide a reinforced compositionsteering wheel with a separately formed'hub .member which directlyengages a reinforcing spider embedded in composition materialto providea rigid structure. A

Another object is to provide a steering wheel having av single 'piecesheetV metal reinforcing spiderV provided-with a channeled hub annulnsembedded in acomposition body. A further object-is, to provide asteering wheel having a single piece sheet metal -reini, n

able connectionsbetween the spokes'and rim.

forcing spider provided with a channeled hub yao annulusembedded. in acompositionbody,

and a` separately formed hub inemberfsecured to jand havingdirectengagement'with vthe hubfaniiulus.

.'lhese being among the yobjectsofthepresent invention, the saineconsistsv of certain featuresV of construction and combinations of eparts to be hereinafter described with ref- Verenceto the vaccompanyingdrawings, and

then claimed, havingthe above and other ob- Jects'in view.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a suitable embodiment ofthe present'invention, y

Figure l is a plan view of a .steering wheel having portions of thecomposition material brokenaway to show the metal reinforcing spider.

I "wheel taken on the line 2 2y of Fig. 1,`

F ig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of oFne of the spokestaken onthe lineB-f of iff. l. i

'.view` of the reinforcing spider showing the hubsecuringplatepositioned thereon. i F ig. 5 is sectionof thehub annulusfofthe Fig. 6Ais an elevation'lview of one'of thehub perspective view 'of plateisfpreferably formed from a singlefsheet metal blank tol provide hubannulus 1, rin

ytinuous depending flange t' at its outer edge Fig. 2 is a transversesection of the steering` i llig. 4L is an enlarged fragigmentaryi"plan.v

reinforcing spidertakenon the-line 5 5 of' 'tion of they wheelY is 'ofgreater strength and rigidity.Y The steering wheelshownl in thiscopending application is composed of abcd-y 'of initiallyv plasticcomposition material moulded around a reinforcing A spder,which f'/nilaterial is continuous throughout'tlie spokes f 'andiriinof thewheel, thefreinforcing spider being preferablymadeofsheet inetalin ay 65single piece to provide Vsubstantially'unbreak-` yof the wheel.y i l l iY Referring `to the'K accompanying drawings in whichL li'kef numeralsrefer; `to ,like parts throughout the several views, the steering wheelshown for illustration comprises a re-l vinfor-eilig.,spider A,completely embodded in i a suitable -Composition'body B.' The'spider 75tegral spokes 2Yradiating therefrom, andak continuous riinB integrallyunitedwiththe spokes 2. Therim 3 is formed with a con'- and dependingvinner flanges 5 .at its inner flanges 6 formed at the sides of thespokes 2.. The hub annulus l is forine'dto the shape of a vrdownwardlypresenting channel having 'ga steppedweb andouter flangesS betweenrthespokesy 2 that are continuous with the side phannels @of the spokes. Theinner marginal Y 1 edge of the hub annulus ll 'defining the centralopening 9 ythereof is extendedinwardly to form a horizontal Harige l0.'lhehiibY an-'A nulus lf isalso formed witharplur'ality' of :spacedopenings' 1l whichare'arrangedto E .extend'yabont the centerline of thehubfan-v nulusvasa-cominon aXis,-the purpose of which will'bedescribedlater in the specification@` 'f '.Thev rim- Bof thereinforcingspiderfA'lis further provided with continuous upwardlypresenting circumferential depression 12in 100 plane parallel withl andrbelow the plane of formed with upwardly presenting depressed portions, acomposition body molded around and embedding said spider, the lower faceof said composition body being substantiallyv flush with the lower faceof said depressed portions, and a separately formed hub member fixed tothe und-er side of said composition body and having engagement with thelower faces ofsaid depressed portion.

3. A steering wheel comprising a single piece pressed metal spiderhaving a circumferentially channeled hub Yannulus, the inner side ofsaid annulus being flanged inwardly, radial depressions formed in saidinwardly flanged portion providing lower faces ina said inwardly flangedportions, a composition body molded around and embedding said spider,screw receiving means carried by said composition body, a separatelyformed hub member positioned against the lower` side of said compositionbody and directly'engag ing said lowerpfaces of said depresisuons,`and

screw means threaded into said'screwreceiv-v ng inca-iis for clampingsaid hub in position. 4. A steering wheel comprising a vsingle piecepressed metal spider having a circum-r 1 Y on extending through saidreinforcing'an-,l

ferentially channeled hub annulus, an annular piate positioned abovesaid hub annulus having depending internallythreaded lugs extendingthrough said hub 'annulusg and aV .composition body molded around andem-l bedding` said spider having the lower face thereof substantiallyiiush with the ends of i said depending lugs and substantially flush ywith portions of said hub annulus, a separately formed hub memberengaging the lower member having lugs thereon extending through saidreinforcing annulus and engaging said separately formed hub, and screwmeansr extending through said separately formed hub and threaded intosaid lugs.

' 6. In a composition steering wheel havingy integrally united rim, huband'spoke porl tions, a reinforcing annulus embedded in said hub portionand having a plurality Aof openings therein, a separately formed hub forengagement with al steering shaft abutting against said hub portion, andmeans for se-y curing said separately formed hubvto saidcompositionhub'portion comprising a ring member embedded in said hub portioniaboveand in engagement with said'reinforcing annulus, said k'ring memberhaving depending 'i y lugs thereon extending throughsaid openj ings insaid reinforcing annulus and engaging said separatelyformed hub, andscrew meansy extending through said separately Vformed hub and threadedintosaid lugs., Y

7. ln' a composition steering wheelhaving integrally united rim,hub andspoke portions. a reinforcing annulus embedded lin said hub portion andhaving downwardly offset* portions formed around'the inner edgetherekof, and having their lower faces substantiallyflush with the lowerface of saidV hub fportion, and a separately formed hub secured to saidvwheel in contacting engagement .with saidV lower faces of saidl offsetportions..V

8. In arcomposition steering wheel having integrally united rim, hub andspoke portions, a .reinforcing annulus embedded in saidY i hub portionand having. downwardly offset portions formed around the inner edgethereof, and having their lower faces substantially flush with the lowerface ofsaid hub poi'- tien. a ring member embedded in saidrhub` portionabove and in engagement withsaid reinforcing annulus and having lugsthere- HARRY A. HUS'IED.

ends of said depending lugs and said por- Y tiens of said hub annulus,and screws threaded into said depending lugs to clamp said hub memberinto engagement with said lugs and portions of saidV hub anniilus.

5. In a composition steering wheel having fiao integrally united rim,hub and spoke pori tions., reinforcing annulus embedded in said hubportion, a separately formed hub for engagement with a steering shaftabutting against said hub portion, and means for securing saidseparately formed hub` to said composition hub Yportion comprisinga ring

